You will pay a fortune for a place to stay in Lake Placid.

Out of the three I have only done IMWI. It has a much tougher bike course than Whistler or Mont Tremblant but is a fantastic event. Maryland appears to be the easiest of the the three but I am not certain of the travel logistics.

Wisconsin is probably the easiest from a travel standpoint.

Maryland is the "easiest" but it's Ironman, they are not easy.

LP is awesome though, beautiful countryside, fan / town support. It's a hard bike, followed by a hard run though.

Good luck!! If you are visiting friends in GA, why not look at Chattanooga?

How is the Wisconsin bike course harder than IM Canada/Whistler? The new IM Canada has 8461 feet of climbing compared to 4120 feet in Wisconsin. I know total elevation doesn’t tell the whole story, but that’s less than half as much climbing

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Matt

Why isn't Ironman Augusta on your list?

I'm guessing he's looking for recommendations for a full, not a 70.3.

Regarding IM recommendations, Florida or Louisville are probably "easier" than Chattanooga since Chattanooga's run course is hilly and it can still be hot in late September.

I had a brain fart and meant to write IM Chattanooga. If he is visiting friends in GA then Chattanooga makes the most sense with easiest logistics for flying in and out of Atlanta. Since Lake Placid and Wisconsin are on the list, Chattanooga seems well within the difficulty level. Florida and Louisville would also be good choices with better proximity to Georgia and lower chance of heat if that is a concern.

I rode one loop of the lollipop in Madison this summer. About 39 miles and the Garmin showed 2500 ft of climbing. So, the course has to be easily over 5000 ft

I don’t have my old data to access when I did IM Madison in 2010 or 2013.

I completed Whistler in 2015 however, during longer, gradual climbs, such as Whistler and Mount Tremblant, it is easier to get in a rhythm whereas Wisconsin is very technical, with short, punchy hills and rough roads where you are rarely in the aero position for longer than 5 minutes. The wind is also seems to be more of a factor in Wisconsin than Whistler or Mount Tremblant.

I would think Lake Placid would be the toughest to get to if you are flying. There really isn't a big airport very close to it. It isn't exactly the easiest course either. I have heard good things about Wisconsin. Might be straight-forward from a logistics standpoint.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Can I ask why you cose these three? I woukd think Florida or Chattanooga would be best if your final destination is GA.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

jaretj Thank you for your advice.
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djhuff7 Thank you for your advice. I'm looking for full IM. My question was't clear. I'm sorry.
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HuffNPuff Thank you for your advice. I'm looking for full IM. My question was't clear. I'm sorry.
JoelO Thank you for your advice. Yes, you are right, I'm looking for full IM. My question was't clear. I'm sorry.
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ericlambi Thank you for your advice. I'm looking for full IM. My question was't clear. I'm sorry.

Thank you very much for your warm answers. I really wanna visit USA.

This is not true. IM Maryland is about an hour from BWI (Baltimore/Washington, DC) airport. I flew in/flew out of BWI when I did IM Maryland in 2015.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Looks like Maryland should be your first choice:
1. Flat course ("not too difficult")
2. Fly into BWI airport (Baltimore, Maryland)
3. Short flight from Georgia

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

If this is your first IM in the US then pick either of Wisconsin or Lake Placid but do NOT pick Maryland.

Maryland has a high chance of being impacted by weather. All races carry a risk but Maryland is extra sensitive because the water level is very high versus land and the area is wide open to wind. Chances of the swim being impacted one way or the other are high. The course is boring and there is just nothing interesting to see or do in the area leading up to the race.

There’s been massive construction all around that area and traffic has been abysmal lately. On the past several trips I’ve taken from Baltimore in the past month, it’s taken me about twice as long to get anywhere.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

I have done all three and based on what you are looking for, Maryland is the answer.
3.2.0

IMWI is the easiest to get to and from the airport; 15-20 minute Uber/Lyft ride. But not a lot of flights in and out of Madison. The course is challenging; daunting swim and around 5000 ft? of climb on the bike but a great marathon.
Lake Placid is the best course and experience of the three but it is hours from a regional airport and lodging can be an issue. The swim is a breeze but the bike can be challenging, over 7000 ft? climbing
Maryland, though a crap course, is only 90 minutes or so drive from DC or Baltimore. It is challenging to find affordable housing in MD and the host hotel which is $400+ per night.

In regards to ranking the courses in difficulty MD would be the less challenging of the 3 and Placid (aside from the swim) would the more challenging of the 3.

I have done all 3 of those races, and will say that Maryland is an easy course. It's very flat, and very fast. Placid would be the most challenging of the 3 courses, and getting there and hotels are very difficult and expensive.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

Highly recommend Ironman Moooo. Been there 4 times. Better like to climb hills on the bike. Lake placid expensive swim great, bike one big climb, run sucks

I have entered all three races (finished Wisconsin and Lake Placid, didn't finish Maryland). Lots of good advice already; to repeat some things and add some more information:

Wisconsin - what I would recommend of the three as your first time. Reasons:
- close to airport
- located in a moderate-sized city
- easy to book lodging close to start/finish
- lake swim
- hillier bike than MD, less hilly compared to LP
- flat-ish run course

Lake Placid
- far away from airport (Albany); you will need to rent a car
- located in a small resort town
- lodging is probably most difficult to arrange from abroad (also can be expensive)
- easy lake swim
- most difficult bike of the three
- good run course, moderately hilly

Maryland
- located far away from airports (yes, even Baltimore); you will need to rent a car
- located in a small town (not as nice as Lake Placid)
- extremely likely to be affected by weather (cancelled or water on bike and run courses)
- swim in mix of salt/fresh water, can be choppy
- flat flat flat bike course
- flat flat flat run course

To make logistics easier, there may be tour operators that can assist you with transportation and lodging arrangements. I have no experience with them; but others may have experiences to share.

japarker24 Thank you for your advice.
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